Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Veria Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Veria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,705 in Athens versus $1,228 in Veria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,630 in Athens versus $1,996 in Veria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,556 in Athens versus $2,764 in Veria.

Living in Athens is roughly 39% more expensive than in Veria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 28% above, Veria is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.93

$13.57 €11.89

25.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €55.7

$58.2 €50.9

9.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 €9.00

$9.44 €8.27

8.90%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.82

$4.13 €3.61

5.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.62 €1.42

47.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.59

$0.57 €0.50

17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €4.97

$5.06 €4.43

12.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.95

$5.95 €5.21

-5.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.69

$1.47 €1.29

30.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.34 €1.17

2.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.71 €1.50

64.33%

Eggs

$5.12 €4.49

$4.21 €3.68

21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 €12.97

$11.34 €9.93

30.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 €9.88

$9.47 €8.29

19.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 €13.30

$13.32 €11.66

13.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$2.35 €2.06

-6.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.84 €1.61

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.13 €0.99

39.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.07

$1.95 €1.70

21.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.09 €0.95

29.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.03

$0.96 €0.84

22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.03 €0.90

19.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.89

$0.49 €0.43

108.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.89

$4.59 €4.02

21.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 €8.80

$10.62 €9.30

-5.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.62 €1.42

25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.50

$2.37 €2.07

20.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.60 €1.40

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.50 €30.21

$46.76 €40.95

-26.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €4.03

$7.32 €6.41

-37.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.13 €15.00

$13.68 €11.98

25.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.78

$2.11 €1.85

-3.32%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K €25.5K

$34.1K €29.9K

-14.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.6K €25.9K

$29.0K €25.4K

1.95%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$217 €190

$127 €111

70.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.37 €23.97

$23.17 €20.29

18.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.44 €30.16

$29.23 €25.60

17.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €49.58

$34.83 €30.51

62.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.46 €23.17

$26.52 €23.23

-0.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €9.14

$9.47 €8.29

10.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$561 €492

$351 €307

60.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,701

$5,457 €4,780

102.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €80.7

$113 €98.7

-18.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.84 €41.02

$39.63 €34.71

18.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.8

$99.6 €87.2

0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €105

$97.2 €85.2

23.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 €569

$345 €302

88.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 €501

$285 €249

100.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 €1,040

$649 €568

82.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €888

$575 €503

76.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 €3,553

$1,029 €901

294.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,221 €2,821

$2,335 €2,045

37.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,327 €1,162

$1,027 €899

29.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.34

14.98%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Athens: July 11, 2026

Last update for Veria: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Athens and $345 in Veria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Athens vs $58.0 in Veria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $259 per month, with Veria cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Athens vs Veria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veria wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Veria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $650 in Athens versus $345 in Veria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Veria – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,705 per month in Athens versus $1,228 in Veria – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,228 in Veria versus $1,705 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Veria but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Veria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Veria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,228 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Veria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Veria are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Veria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.